Although the practice of archery dates back thousands of years, it was not until fairly recently that we have witnessed substantial improvements in the primary tool used to propel the arrow, namely, the bow. Yet, throughout the evolution of the bow, one feature has remained constant: the bow is still held by a human hand. Because of this simple fact, there is always the potential for the human hand to introduce unwanted torque to the bow, by way of the grip/handle, and thus reduce the accuracy with which the arrow is propelled toward its target. It is desirable to be able to control and minimize this unwanted torque to the greatest degree possible.
If a torqueing hand pressure is applied during the rearward drawing motion, upon releasing the bowstring the handle/riser element of the bow will immediately twist in the direction of this torque. This in turn will cause the arrow which is still in contact with the arrow rest and the drawstring to be propelled in a direction other than the sighted direction, rendering the shot inaccurate.
There is no denying that bow manufacturers, by means of superior technologies and materials, have made great strides in combatting bow torque. One of the most notable changes has been simply slimming down and reducing in size, the bow grip/handle itself. The rationale for this is that by reducing the surface area over which the human hand contacts the grip, one simultaneously reduces the potential for bow torque. It is also widely accepted by most archers that a loose, relaxed hand grip is desirable for reducing or eliminating bow torque.
But not all archers agree with one or both of the strategies of employing a reduced-contact handle or a looser grip. Not so long ago, the trend in bow grips was to offer a more sculpted grip designed to fit the user's hand “like a glove,” enabling the archer to quickly obtain a consistent hand placement which is a key to accuracy regardless of the grip style used.
While there can be little doubt that with practice, discipline, and proper equipment, an archer can successfully execute an accurate shot with a bow, the fact remains that bow toque continues to this day to be a substantial problem for archers. This is evidenced by witnessing a target archer meticulously and methodically place their open hand on the bow grip to search for the “sweet spot” before each shot. Target shooters are well aware that even if a loose, relaxed grip is employed, the lower, fleshy portion of the palm can by itself introduce torqueing, causing a rebounding effect after the string is released. This torqueing, no matter how minimal, can be devastating to accuracy, especially for longer distance shots which greatly magnify the applied torque.
It is therefore very desirable to provide a torque-reducing grip that can be used in modern compound and recurve bows. Compound bows are bows which incorporate one or more wheels, cams and cables, while recurve bows employ a string-only system, often with a non-wood riser.
In particular, it is highly desirable, when the bow system is drawn into in a drawn state, to enable the outer bow grip to rotate over a limited angular range relative to the inner bow handle so as to minimize torqueing.
It is also very desirable, when the bow system is in an undrawn state, to ensure that outer bow grip is prevented from rotating relative to the inner bow handle.